10 Healthy Foods for Cancer Patients

Dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce and collard greens are a good source of vitamins A, E, K as well as the mineral iron. Iron is important to our red blood cells, which are responsible for making hemoglobin to carry oxygen to tissues throughout our bodies. Incorporate these leafy greens into your diet by steaming, sautéing or adding them to soups.

Not only are these greens good for you during cancer treatment, they also contain cancer-fighting nutrients such as beta-carotene, lutein, folate and phytochemicals that may also help prevent certain cancers, including breast, cervical and lung, from growing.

But greens aren't the only vegetables you'll want to stock up on. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower have shown the ability to stop cancer cells from growing, specifically in breast, endometrium, lung, color, liver and cervical cancers.

Did You Know?

In a study funded by the National Cancer Institute, participants ate 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day, resulting in a 22 percent drop in oxidative damage done by free radicals.